92 



ACCOUNT OF THE PHASMIDAE, WITH NOTES ON THE EGGS. 



Tribe. Phylliides. 

 Genus. Phyllium auct. 



Only two genera are recognised in this tribe, Phyllium and Chitoniscus Stal, the 

 latter being found in the Fiji islands. Dr Willey met with a species in Lifu 

 which is exactly similar in appearance to Chitoniscus feejeeanus, but has the nervuration 

 of Phyllium. 



(16) Phyllium brachysoma, n. sp. PI. VIII, Fig. 13. 



Minor, viride; pedibus brevibus, femoribus parum dilatatis, anterioribus lobo 

 interno parvo, intus rotundato, margine interno obscure tridenticulato. 



Long. corp. 52 mm.; tegm. long. 32, lat. 12^ mm. ; long, femor. ant. 9|mm.; lobo 

 interno long. 6, lat. 3 mm. 



Loc. Lifu. Two female specimens. 



This is the smallest Insect of the genus ; it is in appearance allied to Chitoniscus 

 feejeeanus, but is readily distinguished by the shorter form, and especially by the shorter 

 legs, the front femora being in C. feejeeanum 11^ mm. long. There are only three 

 distinct teeth on the lobe of the front femur, but near the apex, there are two other 

 very minute denticles ; there are no serrations between the denticles. The most marked 

 difference between the two species is however to be found in the nervuration. In 

 C. feejeeanus (PI. VIII, Fig. 14) the radial vein diverges from the ulnar vein quite 

 at the base, while in P. brachysoma the two run parallel and contiguous. As C. 

 feejeeanum is known only by the very brief description given by Westwood (Proc. Ent. 

 Soc. Lond. ser. 3, II. 1864, p. 17), we have figured the tegmen. P. brachysoma 

 agrees fairly well with P. scythe in the nervuration, but it has the mesothorax short 

 as in Chitoniscus, so that if Stal's genera are considered valid, P. brachysoma should 

 form a third. 



(17) Phyllium, sp. PI. VIII, Fig. 15. 



Dr Willey brought a young nymph from New Britain which probably represents 

 a new species of this interesting tribe, it being destitute of a lobe at the back of 

 the front femur. P. (Chitoniscus) feejeeanus has been recorded as living in New Britain 1 , 

 but I cannot identify this young individual as belonging to that species. 



The sexes of Phyllium are in the adult state extremely different in form aud in 

 the condition of the wings, which are quite atrophied in the female but well developed 

 in the male. The males are very rare and little is known as to the development 

 of the sexual distinctions. In the nymph figured, the form is that of a female, but 

 the hind- wings are as far advanced in development as the tegmina, so that I feel quite 

 uncertain whether this nymph may be of the male or female sex. 



N.B. Phibalosoma novae-britanniae, Wood-Mason, Ann. Nat. Hist. (-1) xx. 1877, p. 75, 

 was not procured by Dr Willey. 



1 Wood-Mason (Ann. Nat. Hist. xx. 1877, p. 75) described P. novae-britanniae, but subsequently (J. Asiat. 

 Soc. Bengal, xlvi. pt 2, p. 351) considered this Insect to be P. feejeeanum Westw. 



